None of that Vespa physical petrol engine feel or Vespa petrol noise… but, also in the best possible way. The experience is oddly calming and a marked contrast from the vibration and noise from even a modest sized petrol scooter.Īs soon as you put the bike in drive mode though everything changes. Prepare to use the horn more than usual, purely to let pedestrians know there is a bike coming. There’s virtually no hum from the motor and the acceleration is buttery smooth. Out on the road the first impression is one of nothing. If you’re using the bike for commuting you can obviously charge at work as well as home. The company says the battery is good for 800 cycles, at which point the charge is down to around 70% the capacity of new. As well as liberating riders from those horrible trailing charging cables or the need for off-street parking, the bike is far harder to steal (having no power source). Open the seat, pull it out and plug it in with a mains charger for empty-to-full 6hr charge. The motor is in turn powered by a removable (loaf of bread sized) lithium-ion battery. Although the Piaggio 1 is so light compared to a regular 125cc scooter you’ll probably never have to trouble it.Īll of this motion is powered by a 1.2kW rear hub mounted motor (2kW on the Active), which opens up valuable under-seat storage for an open face helmet. Select this to manoeuvre the bike for parking. Sport, with a modest top speed of 40 kph (Piaggio 1) or 60kph (1 Active), is the mode which will suit pretty much all riders, all of the time. Eco is for battery saving riding in heavy traffic at modest speeds (up to 18mph / 30kph). From a handlebar mounted button you then toggle through three riding modes. WIRED took the course and would heartily recommend all riders take it regardless.Ī keyless fob unlocks the bike and brings that flashy 5.5-inch colour LCD display to life (think a shrunken Tesla control-unit for teenagers). Riders with a post 2001 licence or only holding a provisional licence will need to take a one day motorbike CBT (compulsory basic training) course before slinging a leg over one. Prospective riders only need a pre 2001 car licence to pilot one without L plates, and can take a pillion passenger. All come in under the 50cc (equivalent) engine size, and all share a modest top speed (up to 28mph) and range. WIRED has selected a set of electric mopeds across the spectrum, all suited to commuting and city riding in general. The meteoric rise (and success) of the pedal electric bike is now trickling over to consumer mopeds and scooters: zero emissions bikes for modern consumers keen to avoid the petrol pump, road tax and inner city congestion charges. Our regular routines have been disrupted and as we’re still emerging and finding our feet (and wheels) we’re looking at alternative modes of travel. The pandemic has brought upon a seismic shift in how we travel and where we travel to.
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